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• 17-year-old midfielder to to join from De Anza Force
• Pelosi captained USA at Under-17 World Cup in Mexico

The highly-rated United States youth international Marc Pelosi will join Liverpool’s academy set-up after signing a deal with the club.

The 17-year-old midfielder, who has played 28 times for the USA Under-17s and scored eight goals and captained the side in this summer’s youth-level World Cup in Mexico, has joined from De Anza Force in California.

The USA reached the second stage of the Under-17s tournament in Mexico but were eliminated in the first knockout round after a 4-0 defeat to Germany.

“We’re determined to identify the best possible talent globally and I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Marc in to the club,” the academy director Frank McParland told liverpoolfc.tv.

Liverpoolguardian.co.uk

To all intents and purposes this was as meaningless a match as Liverpool will play in Europe yet, such is the lot of Roy Hodgson, it merely raised fresh questions over his authority after he confirmed his team was altered on medical advice. Coming just 48 hours after Liverpool’s owners had described the season so far as unacceptable, it was not the admission of an emboldened manager.

John W Henry and Tom Werner, Liverpool’s new chairman, missed a sterile display against Utrecht after returning to the United States to attend a funeral. They missed a game on which nothing rested, with Liverpool having already qualified as group winners, but also one that did nothing for the manager’s attempts to restore the confidence of key individuals. Liverpool started with seven internationals on the pitch and threatened twice all night.

Only at Liverpool could a dead rubber be brought to life by controversy and conspiracy. Hodgson was unequivocal on the team selection on the eve of the game as he revealed he had torn up his Europa League policy in order to play Fernando Torres and José Reina from the start, the former due to form and a minor injury to David Ngog, the latter for unspecified reasons. Both Spaniards were keen to play and to get the misery of the defeat by Newcastle out of their system yet were absent from the team sheets, with Torres on the bench and Reina excluded altogether.

Hodgson’s explanation contained a first – an apology to the press – and made absolute sense in many respects. But it did nothing to dispel the suspicion that Liverpool’s manager must cede authority to Dr Peter Brukner, the club’s head of sports science and sports medicine, even on a night when he wanted to put on a show for his employers and to rebuild momentum ahead of Saturday evening’s reunion with Fulham.

“I had a change of heart,” Hodgson said. “I must apologise to the reporters. I was certainly considering giving Fernando a start. I thought it would be a nice game for him and a chance for him to get his confidence back. But I also had a talk to our fitness people and they made me see sense that it wasn’t the wisest thing to do. And of course it would be very bad for us if he picked up an injury. The same applied to Pepe Reina. They made me see sense, I listened to the reason around me and I changed my mind. I am a bit sad that, unintentionally, I tricked some supporters and a few journalists.”

Liverpool’s new owners had increased the gate, and produced a fine PR move in the process, by allowing under-16s in free, hence Hodgson’s contrition on the absence of the biggest draw. His argument that it was needless to risk Torres to injury was merely strengthened when Utrecht lost their leading forward, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, to a serious shoulder injury on the stroke of half-time. It was hard not to feel bewilderment, however, and indeed some sympathy for the Liverpool manager, at the sudden turn of events.

Brukner’s influence over when players can and cannot play has been a recurring theme of Hodgson’s debut season at Anfield. The manager angrily denied being dictated to by the Australian when it was first put to him in the autumn. Increasingly, as Joe Cole, Torres and Steven Gerrard have all returned later than originally anticipated from injury, even while Hodgson has been struggling for acceptance, that conclusion appears inescapable.

Torres’ frequent injuries over the past two years precipitated a review of Liverpool’s medical department in the summer and no-one is disputing Brukner’s opinion. But it is difficult to imagine, for example, Sir Alex Ferguson or David Moyes changing their stated team at the last on doctor’s orders. And supporters never shout for a medicine man’s head if it all goes wrong.

The game itself was not the most pressing in Liverpool’s European history even before it fell a distant second to the team selection. Nevertheless, it did not augur well for Hodgson when Anfield began chanting “attack, attack, attack” with the contest in its embryonic stage and Liverpool’s rigid formation failing to excite.

Nathan Eccleston was handed a first Liverpool start in place of Torres and made his presence felt after only six minutes. Unfortunately it was for a dangerous challenge through Mihai Nesu that warranted the booking he received. Milan Jovanovic looked to have accepted the need to impress when he drifted inside the Utrecht midfield and unleashed a fine 25-yard drive that goalkeeper Michel Vorm tipped onto his crossbar shortly afterwards. That was a rare highlight in the first half, however, as Liverpool tested even the patience of the fans.

Hodgson’s resolve was also stretched. He sent Torres out for a warm-up, and a warning to those on the pitch, after half an hour and words were exchanged at half-time on the evidence of a more purposeful second half. Ryan Babel twice went close to giving Liverpool the lead while the disappointing Cole had a goalbound effort blocked late on.

Europa LeagueLiverpoolUtrechtAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Liverpool defender prepared to adapt for Fabio Capello
• ‘I thank the Wembley crowd for their reception’

Jamie Carragher is happy to be as flexible as possible for England during the World Cup in South Africa this summer. One of the major reasons for Carragher’s international retirement three years ago was his frustration over being repeatedly overlooked to fill one of his favoured centre-half berths when either Rio Ferdinand or John Terry was unavailable.

Instead Carragher either remained on the bench or had to slot in at full-back, a situation which led to growing resentment from the Liverpool player. In deciding to accept Fabio Capello’s offer of an international return, Carragher has been happy to put his reservations aside.

Carragher clearly has huge respect for Capello’s coaching ability, enough to accept making a contribution in any area of the field the Italian thinks is required.

“Centre-back is my best position. I think everyone is aware of that,” said the 32-year-old. “But if you look at the squad maybe the manager does see me playing a different position, which is something I will have to adapt to. Basically, I will just do whatever the manager says.”

Carragher won his 35th cap against Mexico on Monday night as a half-time substitute for Ferdinand, which gave him a chance to partner another old face returning to the England camp, Ledley King.

However, as Capello looks to manipulate his squad, it is as cover for his Liverpool team-mate Glen Johnson at right-back that Carragher’s place in South Africa is likely to be earned.

Capello is also aware he could use the defender on the left side, or even in the holding midfield position that Gareth Barry seems unlikely to fill for the Group C opener against the United States in Rustenburg on 12 June. It seems that particular vacancy will only be open for one game following the positive vibes that came from the scan Barry had on his injured ankle yesterday.

Positive would also be an accurate description of the feeling about Carragher’s chances of being among the 23 names Capello unveils as his World Cup squad on 1 June. After all, there would seem little point in the Italian going out of his way to persuade Carragher to return, only to dump him at the first available opportunity.

Not that the player himself is taking anything for granted. “It’s up to the manager,” reflected Carragher. “There is another game against Japan and another week’s training. After that we will see.”

Carragher has been delighted at the warmth with which he has been invited back into the fold. Part of that is due to his declaration that he would only return if he was not taking anyone’s place which, with Joleon Lescott and Wes Brown both injured at the back end of the season, he has not done.

There seemed little antagonism either from the Wembley crowd over the comments he made in his autobiography, which were more pro-Liverpool than anti-England. “I thank the crowd for their reception,” said Carragher. “As I said before the game I could understand it if they weren’t too happy with my situation but I think they just wanted to get behind the team before the World Cup and send the squad out in good spirits.”

Having made his debut in 1999, Carragher clearly has not been too impressed with some of the decisions made by previous international managers. There are no such worries over Capello. “Every manager has his own ideas and different ways of doing things,” said Carragher. “But Fabio’s track record speaks for itself. Whatever the manager has done through his career it has proved successful. Hopefully it will be that way again.”

Jamie CarragherWorld Cup 2010EnglandWorld Cup 2010 Group CLiverpoolguardian.co.uk